‘Holy Grail’ found in lost Monty Python animation

Following last night’s 40th anniversary re-release of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (in sing-along fashion, no less), comes the brilliant news that 14 minutes of ‘lost’ animation has been discovered that never made it to the film when it was released back in 1975. Kind of like finding the ‘Holy Grail’ of sorts if you think the deleted animation has actually gone undiscovered for the past four decades.


Terry Gilliam, the lone American member of the Monty Python troupe who brilliantly served as its’ principle animator and who also co-directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail, is arguably best known as the director of such films as Time Bandits, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Fisher King.

Gilliam introduces the lost animation as part of the upcoming 40th anniversary Blu-ray release, explaining, among other things, why the animation was cut, and how he developed his style. “This in fact is probably the only reason to buy this new Blu-ray version of the film, for the new animation,” jokes Gilliam. “In fact, it’s old animation, but its the animation that was cut out by the rather envious members of the group, who were trying to restrain a young, talented animator. A man who could have gone on to be a great animator, but no, he was forced into live-action filmmaking to cover the scars.

Besides Gilliam’s thoughts, the 40th anniversary video also includes music by Neil Innes that didn’t make it into the final cut and new animations and deleted animations of ‘The Tale of Sir Robin’, ‘Elephant & Castle’, ‘Meanwhile, King Arthur & Sir Bedevere…’, ‘Run Away!’ and ‘The Tale of Sir Lancelot’.

In: Comedy